Sign-board.



E. IVIOLLDY. SIGN BOARD.'

APPLICATION FILED JULY l', 1916.

Patented May 21, 19m

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

1N VENTOR.

A TTORN E Y.

if Nnv/ E. MLLOY.

SIGN BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11. 191s.

l Patented May 21,1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR. GMWQL ATTORNEY.

UNTTE STATES EMOND MOLLOY, OF PHILADELIPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR TO J' OI-IN F. MOLLOY AND RICHARD T. MOLLOY, BOTH OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGN-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1918.

Application tiled July 17, 1916. Serial No. 110,599.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known thatl, EDMoNn MoLLoY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sign-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

Advertising sign boards of the length used when they are placed beside railroads, and motor traveled roads, heretofore have been solid structures, erected on solid foundations, and solidly braced to withstand the wind pressure. This bracing was usually made by a slanting timber set at various points along the panel of the sign board, which unless they did not extend above the bottom of the panel, marred kits appearance, and made it impossible to use to its full advantage theside of the sign boardon which they were placed.

My present device is intended` to avoid the necessity for this heavy and solid construction, by making the panel a light truss structure, swinging on supportsvwhen thepressure of the wind becomes great so that it willjpresent a slopingl surface, or even, in a very high wind, its edge to the wind. The lumber used in a signboard of the former construction, blown down for lack of strength to withstand wind pressure, will often be sufficient to furnish all the material for one of my construction and leave nearly half of the lumber of the old' sign unused, and yet the new sign board will `withstand much greater wind pressure than destroyed the sign board of the former construction. This swinging panelis very advantageously usable with movable supports, such as herein described and many other advantages of the within described form of sign board will bevpointed out or will be seen readily from the description in the following portions of the specification.

Figure l isa side elevation of the sign board. Fig. 2 is a section on line w-m of Fig. l.y Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the end of a panel with the facing removed. Fig. 4: shows the base ofthe support, the supporting timbers being cut on line fl/-Jg/ of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vview of the trunnion on which the swinging panel turns. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the auxiliary truss. Fig. 7 is a view of a different form of support.I Fig. 8 is a side elevationv of a di'erent form of panel adapted to a curved top, and Fig. 9 a detail of the auxiliary truss.

The panel is a sheathed truss. The bent members 2 and 3 are bellied downward. The string piece 4c lies above. The curved members are made of a number of strips, and fastened together by nails or other instrumentalities, and laid over each other in layers, the pieces breaking joints. By making these curved members belly downward, they tend to retain their shape, and the concave form of the truss framework dispenses with the need for diagonal struts, ties and braces`^ such as would be required in other forms of truss construction. This truss structure can be made of very light material and the omission of struts and braces tends still further to lighten it. The curved elements, 2, and 3 and the stringer are connected together at their ends and extend to the end of the panel in practice. The sheathing or facing 7, 7, can be placed on one orboth sides of the parts 2, 8, l, and the bottom mayk if desired extend below the piece 30 and be finished by framing pieces 6 that, when both sides of the truss are sheathed may extend from one face to the opposite face.- This sheathing' will amply suiiice to make the truss structure rigid, and keepI the panel always yin shape, especially in view of the downward curves given to the elements 2'and3.

The auxiliary truss placed at the upper side of the panel gives rigidity in a direction substantially at right angles to the height of the panel and prevents the panel and the stringer piece 4C from buckling. The truss height of this auxiliary truss is at a substantial angle, preferably nearly at `a right angle with` the truss height of the main truss. This auxiliary truss is very light and very cheap and simple in its construction. This auxiliary truss consists of compression members, 10, 10, crosswise of the panel, provided with diagonal tension members, 1.1, 1l. These tension members, 11, 11, are in practice wires which are suitably secured by a bolt or a staple to the ends of the compression members, 10, 10, giving the crosswise tu'rn around the staple or vbolt it' need beto keep it fromI slipping, and thence carrying it across the topof the panel to the opposite side of the next compression member,vto which it is drawn taut, secured .and then continued diagonally across the top or' the panel to the next piece 10, and so on will@ eed; of. .ths'trussf @hess Wires; are in Where they cross but'als'o to the top of the panel (though a sufficient rigidity Will often come stretched, I can talfthenrupfby stai" paftslo', becoming dfgicheuffofrr the panel;

thdplank 36. The"l upw 4r'd'ly" extending horizontal floor 34, 34, and to each other, the

y hoarclsu38, 38,beingfpreferably inclined inwardand seeured to the;.slopingftimb'ers 31; 31 of which the standards are constructed inpraetiee. This construction gives a broad flat base for the standard 30, serves as a re- Ceptaole33, to contain earth stone orother ballast, and enables the sign to'beler'td Witho'itdiggingfand on marshy ground.

Another form of standard is shown in Fig. 7, Where anuprigl-it pip`e`40"is"sreived intdajstar 11' in'tol Whiharefsorewedfthe sectionalj'` piecesof pp'e The staf "thev pieesd p'ipe; can -b'eisuni ai Short distance' biloutle surface offthe'igroundfor Weighted." 'fhs'ftsfoffppe-'lo 'is-provided with @fr 4s andia lho'le' 'is2 lo'oredv in gth'shoulde"'piece" and ahrod or pipe pushed through it and'fthough t "e f FigiI 8`slo`ws" a fmf, of' panel Where' the tbpfisrcufved; afbne trussmmhe'f 50;rises ahoyfeth panel'" and' hasonfitfanf auxiliaryu-fssfll, In thisifm'ofLpaflfufe Stringer pieoefoa" either" be retained oromittedas s'esbest'. i f l any71 orm of panel', af'single' con'aye' truss element only' can bef assdvfjiff rigidity eiajugif isf-seemed;byfit; Therefore, either the element wird unserern-ents canbs Omit'- tedfu'ndrsuehfeireumstances yThe end :olf the compression pieces, 10," 10, forni conf venef-suppdrftsfffr impsgviifzifrrz; (shawn diagra'n'matieally merely" by circles) which illuminate'the signsiand; when' the" panel' is Thegslgnfoal'i' be* p` ainte'd" on the sheathing 7" of the'p'anelfor na'i'leclit'o itg-Q'r @a-eveil; Where only one f sidio-fthe panelf isfsheathd, @an bepinned averti-le@ truss elemetsf'ahd the bfi-elf oft-the sheathing! or @im be ansehen The' Wlle structure" most' 'conveniently is' Cestrueted' from f-uimfberf where the lSigh f is im beplaeec; (fr til-@materialtrough-nte that plaee' knocked down-2 elements 2 and 3" can flo' 'huilt-"by" pggihlg "outl their shla'pe in uf@- gfsuya, and bendihfg" fin-af Seufisef fbi gthef' tlefgtripsjm ferm" them, with-iii? the pegs; the stiuigefA their pue place; Vand enouglf'sheathingisseeuredto tlf""truss pieeesfforHrd'tfhem-finlpnc. rheisvmrd aref b'uil't' 'and f puty in'fpl'ae'e,' theV p ahil inc'u'ntl ed on them, as can readily lie-done' Ysii'cefcli ytruss structure) 'Without the sheathing of the 'iis ilzo

formed of a sheathed truss having a plurality of the truss elements that extend lengthwise of the truss, provided with bearings above the center of .gravity of the panel and having the greater area of the panel below the bearings, and standards provided with seats for the bearings of the panel upon which the swinging panel swings on the standards.

2. A sign board having in combination a swinging panel provided with a truss running lengthwise of the panel and having a braced truss structure with its truss height substantially at right angles with the swinging panel, standards for the swinging panel and bearings on which the swinging panel swings on the standards.

3'. A sign board having in combination a truss structure having a plurality of the truss elements that extend lengthwise of the truss covered with a facing forming a swinging panel, standards for the panel, bearings placed on the panel above the center of gravity but substantially below the top of the panel and seats for the bearings,

placed on the standards.

4. A sign board having a swinging panel provided with a truss structure, consisting of downwardly bellied bow pieces, and a longitudinal stringer piece at the upper part of the panel, and having this truss structure covered by a flat facing.

The combination in a swinging panel sign board, of a swinging panel having trunnions on which to swing, standards placed beneath these trunnions and having seats to receive them, a floor at the bottom of the standards and side planking extending upward at the sides of the floor the floor the planking and standards being mutually secured together.

6. The combination in a swinging panel sign board, of a swinging panel, having trunnions on which to swing, standards placed beneath these trunnions and having seats to receive them, a floor at the bottom of each standard, side planking extending' 9. In a sign board having a swinging y.

panel, an auxiliary truss placed on the top of the panel, consisting of a plank extending lengthwise of the panel and the compression members running crosswise to the plank and secured to same and wire tension members, running from the compression members to 1Ehe plank between the compression memers.

10. In a sign board the combination of a swinging panel consisting of a sheathed truss having a plurality of the truss elements that extend lengthwise of the truss and standards placed near the ends of the sheathed truss and swingingly supporting the truss.

11. In a swinging sign board, the combination with the supporting standards of a panel consisting of a main truss of sheathing on same, and of an auxiliary truss rigidly secured to the main truss and having the truss height of the auxiliary truss at a substantial angle with the truss height of the main truss.

12. A sign board having in combination a swinging panel provided with a truss running lengt-hwise of the panel, and having a plurality of truss elements running lengthwise of the truss, and having also a braced truss structure runnin lengthwise of the panel with its truss height substantially at right angles with the height of the panel, and consisting of a lengthwise piece, compression members running crosswise ofthe truss structure, and diagonal tension members.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

EDMOND MoLLoY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

